# Is "Darkfall" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Darkfall by Dean Koontz (Berkley, 1984) is identified by: US first edition is the Berkley mass-market paperback original (October 1984); the first printing's printing history states Berkley edition, October 1984, with no later printings listed. The UK hardcover, published by W.H.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US first edition is the Berkley mass-market paperback original (October 1984); the first printing's printing history states Berkley edition, October 1984, with no later printings listed
- There is no 'First Printing' number line
- Publisher imprint reads Berkley
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Berkley |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US first edition is the Berkley mass-market paperback original (October 1984); the first printing's printing history states Berkley… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US first edition is the Berkley mass-market paperback original (October 1984); the first printing's printing history states Berkley edition, October 1984, with no later printings listed. There is no 'First Printing' number line.

## Is this the true first?
The UK hardcover, published by W.H. Allen as Darkness Comes (London, 1984), preceded the US paperback by over six months and is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The only US hardcover is a book club edition: 'Book Club Edition' stated on the front jacket flap, with a gutter code on a rear text page. No US trade hardcover exists.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Darkfall* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/darkfall
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.